Space

The Space element inserts a blank area of variable width onto the form screen. The height of the blank space is approximately 4 times the height of a Line Break screen element. The Space properties screen is displayed in the image below.

DISPLAYFIELDONLY IF – This field accesses the Ninox formula editor where the user may define the condition under which this field, and its contents and name, remain visible in the form view of records in this table. A field will only remain visible if the DISPLAYFIELDONLY IF is left blank or if the formula that appears in the field distills down to a “True” state. For example, to ensure that a field remain invisible at all times and in all situations, a user may enter the formula 1=2 or null. To ensure that a field remains visible at all times, leave this field blank. To enable the field to appear or disappear based on the state of another field (or fields) in the table, use a formula that will ultimately evaluate to either true of false. A true evaluation will result in the field appearing while a false evaluation will result in the field remaining hidden.

[DELETE FIELD] – The red button that appears in the bottom, left-hand corner of the screen, if clicked, will give you the option to delete this field from the table. If you confirm the wish to delete the field, the field, and all content in this field in all records of the table will be eliminated. The Delete Field operation can not be undone, so make sure you have made a backup or archive of your Ninox database application prior to deleting any fields.

One of the most valuable aspects of the Space element is that the administrator can control the width of the element. Space elements can range in width from 1/8 of the screen to full-screen width. The ability to control the width of a space, and thereby mimic the width of any other data field or formula on the screen, makes this element particularly valuable when other screen elements appear and disappear based on formula evaluations.

User interface best practice states that single screen elements should not “move around” during system usage. The idea behind this practice is that users should not have to “go hunting” for a particular field or value that’s in one place on the screen at one point in the user experience and then in a completely different place at some other point in the user experience. By assigning a Space element a conditional formula that is the opposite of a formula assigned to a field or formula with variable (calculated) visibility, the coordinated position of all the screen elements remains stable. An example of this would be a data field that only appears when a check box has been selected. A space with a width identical to that of the field, and with a formula dictating that it only display when the check box is not selected would ensure that all of the other elements following the field/space in question remain in a stable position irrespective of the state of the checkbox. This concept is demonstrated in the image below.